Mole Creek Karst National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mole Creek Karst National Park Tasmania
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Inside the Marakoopa Cave
Nearest town or city	Deloraine
Established	1996
Area	13.45 km2 (5.2 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Mole Creek Karst National Park
See also	Protected areas of Tasmania

Mole Creek Karst National Park is a special place in northern Tasmania, Australia. It is about 168 kilometers (104 miles) northwest of Hobart. This park sits on the slopes of the Great Western Tiers, near the town of Mole Creek.

What makes this park unique is that it was created to protect its amazing karst landforms. Karst is a type of landscape made of limestone that has been shaped by water. This creates cool features like caves and sinkholes. The park is also part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site. This means it is recognized as a very important natural area worldwide.

The national park is made up of twelve separate areas of land. Some of these areas are completely surrounded by private land. Many of the park's karst features and cave entrances are actually outside the park's official borders.

Mole Creek Karst National Park is famous for its many incredible cave systems. These caves attract lots of visitors every year. Two of the most popular are King Solomons Cave and Marakoopa Cave. These are called "show caves" because they are set up for tours.

King Solomons Cave has many interesting rock formations. These include stalactites and stalagmites. Marakoopa Cave is known for its amazing glow-worm displays. It also has two underground streams, large caverns, and beautiful rock formations. Many other caves in the park are not set up for tourists. They are sometimes explored by experienced cavers.

The national park was officially opened in 1996. Its main goal was to protect over 300 known caves and sinkholes. This includes the famous Marakoopa and King Solomons Caves. The park is listed as an IUCN Category II protected area. This means it is a national park managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation.

Park Life: Animals and Plants

Mole Creek Karst National Park is home to many different plants and animals. Some of these live in the caves, and others live in the forests around them. Many species, especially those in the caves, are endemic to this area. This means they are found nowhere else in the world. Protecting them is very important.

Cave Animals

Many unique animal species live in the Mole Creek Karst National Park. Some are found only in these special cave systems.

The glow worms, called Arachnocampus tasmaniensis, live in many of the park's caves. They are a big reason why tourists visit. Marakoopa Cave has one of the best glow-worm displays. It is a major highlight of the guided cave tours.

The cave system also protects other special cave animals. These include crickets like Micropathus cavernicola and Parvotettix geode. There are also beetles such as Tasmanotrechus cockerilli. Harvestmen, known as Hickmanoxyomma gibbergunyar, and pseudoscorpions, Pseudotyrannochthonius typhlus, also live here.

Three species found here are listed as protected under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. They are endemic to the area and live only in these caves.

• The beetle Tasmanotrechus cockerilli is very rare. It has changed over time to live in the dark caves. Its eyes have become very small because it does not need them. This beetle is listed as vulnerable.
• The Mole Creek Cave Pseudoscorpion, Pseudotyrannochthonius typhlus, is also incredibly rare. It is known from only a few sightings. This tiny animal is listed as rare.
• The Mole Creek Cave Harvestman, Hickmanoxyomma gibbergunyar, is a troglobite. This means it lives its entire life in caves. It is found in many cave systems in the Mole Creek area and is also listed as rare.

Many types of bacteria, algae, and fungi are found in the caves. Scientists believe they help create the beautiful cave formations.

Here are some other important species in the park:

• Accipiter novaehollandiae (Grey Goshawk) - Endangered
• Parameles gunnii gunnii (Eastern Barred Bandicoot) - Vulnerable
• Aquila audax fleayi (Wedge-Tailed Eagle) - Endangered
• Astacopsis gouldi (Giant Freshwater Crayfish) - Vulnerable

The Giant Freshwater Crayfish, Astacopsis gouldi, is also considered vulnerable by Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Park Plants

The national park has many different types of plants. They grow in various habitats and conditions.

The forested areas have tall trees like brown-top stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua) and white-top stringybark (E. delegatensis). Other trees include swamp gum (E. regnans) and black gum (E. ovata). Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) also grows here. The ground beneath these trees is mostly covered in shrubs.

Some parts of the park have been changed by nearby farms. Things like fires and animal grazing on private land have affected the plants. Because of this, some burnt areas are more open. They are mostly covered by sedges and ferns.

Many sinkholes are found in the park. These often have Sphagnum peatlands around them. These wet areas are scattered among the eucalyptus forests.

Here are some rare and vulnerable plant species found in the park:

• Acacia mucronata var. dependens (Variable sallow wattle) - Rare
• Glycine microphylla - Vulnerable
• Desmodium gunni (Slender tick trefoil) - Vulnerable
• Pimelea pauciflora (Poison rice flower) - Rare
• Epacris exserta (South Esk heath) - Vulnerable
• Pomaderris phylicifolia subsp. Phylicifolia (Narrow leaf pomaderris) - Rare

The South Esk heath (Epacris exserta) is also listed as endangered by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Challenges for the Park

Tourism's Impact

Tourism is important for Mole Creek Karst National Park. It brings money to help care for the park. It also teaches people about nature and why we need to protect it. However, tourism can also be the biggest challenge for the park. Most of the park's appeal comes from its cave systems. The environment inside these caves is very stable and closed off. Too much human activity can harm the delicate plants and animals that live there. It can also damage the beautiful natural cave formations.

Cave animals can be easily hurt or killed by visitors. People walking through caves can crush food sources and important homes for these animals. They can also accidentally kill rare species. When many visitors walk on the cave floors, the dirt becomes hard. This makes it unsuitable for animals to live in.

One of the main attractions is the amazing cave formations, like stalagmites and stalactites. These are very delicate and can be easily damaged. Visitors have already caused serious harm to these formations in some caves. This happens when people do not stay on marked paths. They can track mud and dirt onto the delicate surfaces.

Mud, dirt, hair, and lint from clothes can build up in the caves. These foreign materials can harm the fragile microclimate inside the caves. They can also damage unique cave formations, plants, and animal homes.

Building structures and adding lights for tourists also affects the caves. Lights and ventilation systems can change the delicate microclimates. These changes can be very bad for the organisms living in the caves. For example, a glow-worm cave in New Zealand had to close. This was because increased airflow reduced humidity. This caused the glow worms to dim their lights. This shows how sensitive cave environments are.

Changing light levels from artificial lights can also harm cave organisms. Glow worms may dim their lights when exposed to light. This could affect tourism that relies on glow-worm displays. Artificial lights can also cause algae and bacteria to grow where they should not. These can produce acids that damage cave formations.

Just the presence of humans can change a cave's microclimate. People breathe out carbon dioxide and water vapor. Since caves are closed systems, these gases build up. High levels of carbon dioxide can even be dangerous for humans. Increased water vapor can also damage cave formations. The temperature inside a cave can also change from body heat and lights.

Protecting the Park's Future

The future success of Mole Creek Karst National Park depends on good management and protection. This will help it remain a popular tourist spot and a safe home for wildlife.

Education

Teaching the public is the best way to protect the national park and its caves. Much of the damage to caves happens because people do not know how to explore them carefully. Guided tours can help. Guides who know a lot about the caves and care about their conservation can teach visitors. They can explain how delicate the cave ecosystems are.

Signs with information about cave species can also help. They can remind people to be careful when exploring.

Restoration and Management

Restoring damaged areas and building clear paths are important. By marking paths and blocking off fragile areas, visitors can avoid harming cave animals. They can also help protect the amazing natural formations.

Observation

Monitoring systems can track changes in the cave's microclimate. This includes air pressure, humidity, and temperature. Knowing about these changes quickly can help prevent harm to cave organisms.

Why Preservation Matters

The caves in Mole Creek Karst National Park are important for science, conservation, and recreation. For science and conservation, these caves hold rare animals found nowhere else. They are home to a whole ecosystem of unique cave-dwelling organisms. These creatures can only live in these caves. So, protecting the caves means protecting these animals. The park also attracts visitors from all over the world. The money from tourism helps fund conservation efforts.

The entire National Park has many different plants, animals, and landforms. Many of these are rare, threatened, or endangered. It also has unique natural wonders, like the karst landscape and its huge cave network. Protecting the park ensures these species and landforms can be studied and enjoyed by future generations. These places are valuable just for their own beauty and uniqueness. Keeping them safe means they can be enjoyed for many years to come.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Mole Creek Karst para niños